“The gap between the skills people learn and the skills people need is becoming more obvious, as traditional learning falls short of equipping students with the knowledge they need to thrive”, according a World Economic Forum report:

This report also analysed 213 studies that showed that students who received social and emotional skills instruction had achievement scores that averaged 11 percentile points higher than those who did not and this potentially could lead to long-term benefits such as higher rates of employment and educational fulfillment.

What does the School Accounting Curriculum Cover?

Accounting is much more than the recording of financial data. The subject also includes the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of financial information and includes sections on business ethics, auditing and managerial and cost accounting.

The General Aims of the Accounting Department at Hilton College:

Taking the research into 21st Century Skills into account, as well as our personal experience in teaching and learning over many years, we have developed the following aims:

To link education more closely to the real world by using more “real-life” case studies, the Annual Integrated Reports of South African and International Companies and integrating current accounting and economic trends in our teaching and assessing.

To arrange visits to businesses to expose the boys to the highly competitive and fast moving corporate environment as well as to a variety of different career opportunities in accounting fields and helping them see the connectedness and relevance of what they are learning at school.

To expose our pupils to business and financial concepts through the use of games, and simulations to not only reinforce concepts but also to help them develop their social and emotional skills when interacting with their peers.

To expect our students to learn the skills needed to access, criticise, analyse and evaluate financial information and practically apply financial and managerial knowledge, rather than simply absorb and repeat it.

To help students learn how to identify problem areas within a business and come up with innovative solutions to problems or make decisions as to whether or not to invest in the business.

To develop social and emotional skills by understanding the need to actively promote accountability, business ethics, societal and environmental responsibility and sustainability.

To improve their written and oral communication skills when giving their opinions on solutions to business problems and controls; and in discussing the ethics of decisions that have been made.

To teach financial literacy and intelligence but to also include the teaching of investing skills so that the boys will to learn how to build up an asset portfolio in the hope that this will give them financial independence.

To continue to use the “Colour Accounting” teaching methodology we have introduced that has had a huge impact of our students understanding of Accounting concepts and terminology and on their enjoyment of the learning process which is very interactive, appealing to the visual, auditory and kinesthetic learner.